Winter Walk Through Cedar Hill Cemetery, Hartford

[David Ostafin]

Join us for our January hike, the first hike of 2026:  A SUNDAY walk through the famous graves of Hartford's Cedar Hill Cemetery, beginning at Goodwin Park, on SUNDAY, January 18, 2026.  Meet at the parking lot of Goodwin Park, located at 1192 Maple Avenue, Hartford, CT (in front of flag poles) at 10:30 a.m. for a prompt departure at 11:00, when we will cross the street from Goodwin Park to enter the cemetery.  The rain/snow date is the following SUNDAY, January 25, 2026.

ABOUT THE HIKE:  This is a flat, EASY hike.  It is 2.4 miles in total, and will require about an hour and a half to complete.  We will walk mostly on paved roads (which are plowed in the winter), but we will also venture off-road, amongst the memorial stones, for a first-hand look at the graves of notable persons.  Some of the graves of famous people that we will visit are:

Horace Wells (1815-1848), Hartford dentist, inventor of anesthesia

George Beech (1788-1860), early president of Phoenix Bank

Samual Colt (1814-1862), founder of Colt Fire Arms

The Right Rev. Thomas C. Brownell (1779-1865), founder of Trinity College in Hartford (his statue is located on the Trinity Campus)

Gilbert F. Heublein (1849-1937), food and liquor distributor (Smirnoff Vodka) who built the Heublein Tower atop Talcott Mountain in 1914.

John Pierpont Morgan (1837-1913), prominent financier and banker

Rev. Francis Goodwin (1839-1923), prominent in the Hartford Parks Commision; Goodwin Park is named for him (the Keney Brothers, who donated the land for Keney Park, are also buried in the cemetery)

Catherine Hepburn (1907-2003), celebrated actress on stage and screen

Mark Howard (1817-1887), prominent figure in the Hartford Insurance Industry, whose pink granite pyramid monument is the most photographed gravesite in the cemetery.

We plan on a group photo in front of Mark Howard's pink granite pyramid monument, which features an Angel at the doorway  who leads the deceased through the gates of heaven.  Afterwards, we will take another group photo in front of the "Gay" Family monument.

NOTE:  Dogs are not allowed to walk in the cemetery, out of respect for the departed.  When in the cemetery, dogs must remain in vehicles at all times.  As always, read our DISCLAIMER, and dress appropriately for the season.  Be sure to dress warmly for a winter walk, and wear boots for possible walking in snow among the monuments.  There are no bathrooms within the cemetery.

ABOUT THE CEMETERY:  The Cedar Hill Cemetery was established in 1864 and enccompasses 270 acres of woodland and waterways.  During the mid 19th century, the concept of the "rural cemetery" was developed:  a landscaped, park-like area, away from urban centers, to provide a rural setting of peace and tranquility to visitors.  Jacob Weidenmann served as landscape architect and was the first superintendent.

OPTIONAL AFTER-HIKE SOCIAL:   A winter walk should be followed by a hot bowl of soup!  Join us at  Pho' Boston, located just an eight minute drive from the cemetery, just over the West Hartford line, at 144 Shield Street, West Hartford, CT, for a bowl of the Vietnamese soup called  pho'.  Besides the famous soup that provides the name Pho' Boston, the restaurant also offers other choices of authentic Vietnamese cuisine.  For the menu, visit the website:  https://www.phoboston.com.  It is located near A Dong Market, a large Asian grocery store known for its selection of East and Southeast Asian foods.

David Ostafin and Giovani Querido

[Frank Crowley]

Thanks for the invite David and Giovani. I hope to make it . Goodwin Park was my favorite go-to in the South end neighborhood where I grew up til age 10. Ahhh, tobogganing down the park hill until I tried to stand up.

Frank Crowley 

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